


How to bond with your (technically) Robin predecessor.

by Blackjay27



Series: How to be a male Batgirl [3]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Damian Wayne is Robin, Damian Wayne is a socially awkward assassin-tsundere, Dick Grayson is Batman, Families of Choice, Gen, Tim Drake is Black Bat, Tim Drake was Robin IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 06:05:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8045200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackjay27/pseuds/Blackjay27
Summary: In which Damian Wayne gets to have a mildly revelation-filled conversation with the only other member of the batfamily who understands that being Robin to Dick Grayson is different from being Robin to Bruce Wayne, while Tim gets to snicker mentally at the facial expressions he pulls when reacting to some of the bigger revelations. And somewhere in that mess they form an awkward friendship.





	How to bond with your (technically) Robin predecessor.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic mostly takes place a little while after Damian took over as Robin, long enough for the ex-robins to start comparing him to their own early days as Robin and have him pull up short.

Damian scowled at his surroundings, which they honestly deserved given that they were the roofs of some of the most slum-like areas in Gotham. They were also conveniently distant from Todd and Brown’s patrol areas, so the only one likely to find him here was Grayson.

“Ok, Robin, why are you lying in the middle of my patrol route? There are far better places to be if you want to avoid everybody.” Or maybe someone who wasn’t a former Robin would turn up instead.

“Tt, as if I would want that, Drake.” The annoyance raised an eyebrow.

“Of course, that’s why you’re sat as far as possible from Red Kite and Nightingale’s territories as possible without entering the area where mine overlaps with Batwoman’s. And that’s not been my surname for _years_.”

“How do you know I did not merely decide to sit here to rest before having to endure patrol with Grayson? Also, I will call you what I choose to, _Drake._ ” Drake snorted and sat on the roof’s lip, forcing Damian to sit up to keep Drake’s hands where he could see them.

“Well, firstly, Batman’s primary territory is the other end of Gotham, and I’d have been alerted if you were doing a job in mine so that we could swap patrol routes. Secondarily, your scowl has evolved to a degree that it only does when you’re annoyed at the people you insist are not your siblings.” Damian would have to work to eliminate that reaction if somebody so rarely in the cave as Drake can see it. “Terminally, and most importantly, I’m Jason’s Batgirl, remember?” Damian snorted at the ease with which Drake called himself a girl “He’s not the sort of person who can complain about someone in private and not say it to their face later on. So I know for a fact he’s been giving you crap about _‘Not being a proper Robin’._ ” And of course Drake would agree with his Robin, wouldn’t he. Damian started to get to his feet. “Which is total bullshit.” Damian stopped moving and stared at Drake. “What. I think you’re a good Robin, or at the very least a good Robin for your Batman.” Not breaking his gaze, Damian settled on the rooftop again.

“Ok then, Drake- _Gordon_. Elaborate.” That earned him a beyond-passable recreation of his father’s Batglare.

“Still not my surname, but better. Anyway, elaborating. You understand that Batman needs a Robin, right?” Drake looked at Damian expectantly. It took him longer than it should have to realise an answer was expected and nod. “That’s because Robin balances him out.”

“Tt, this is all basic stuff, Drake-Gordon. Explain why Grayson and you think I’m a good Robin, while Todd and Brown don’t.”

“I’ll start with why they don’t. At least in part, Steph is blaming you for Dick taking Robin from her against her will, which is… fair if misaimed. And slightly hypocritical.” Damian clicked his tongue. As if he cared how the inferior Robin felt about losing what she never deserved. “Whatever superior thoughts are going through your head, please just stop and listen. Now, both Jason and Steph are calling you a bad Robin because you’d not be a good one if Bruce was… well, if Bruce was alive and Batman.” Damian leapt to his feet, hands clenched in fists.

“What! Stop lying, Drake! As if you’d know how well a parent and child can work together!” Drake raised an eyebrow at him.

“Like how Babs and I managed to do the practically impossible together and hack Lexcorp without Luthor noticing? That’s why I said ‘not be a good one’ instead of ‘be a bad one’. The two of you were too similar, you can’t have balance if all the weights go on the same side of the scales. And your willingness to kill would cause tension. You’d be a very good, if distant, partner to him, though, more like Nightwing or Red Kite.” Damian wasn’t raised to be a distant partner! He was raised to be Batman! “Yup, you were raised to be Batman. Don’t even deny that was what you were thinking.  And Batman can’t balance Batman, it just doesn’t work.” That… made an annoying amount of sense. This was why Damian was glad Black Bat primarily worked from the Clocktower, and more recently his own apartment.

“Ok then, why are you so certain that Grayson wearing the cowl nullifies this issue?” A small smirk had settled across Drake’s face.

“Because, you’re mostly Batman, but you’re young enough to have a number of Robin traits. By contrast, as he’s grown older, Dick has gained a number of Batman traits, but he’s still Robin at his core. It’s a combination that balances well. Trust me, I have a very similar set of traits to you, and I worked well as his Robin.” Huh, why had Damian never seen it like- Drake had been Grayson’s Robin!? When!?

“Yes, yes I was Dick’s Robin. You didn’t say that out loud, by the way, I’ve just lived with Cass for quite a while. She’s a surprisingly good teacher.” Damian bit back his ascorbic comment about Drake’s skill level to need the lessons, well aware that Cain would find out, and respond in a manner that was both far beyond Damian’s skill level and protective of her ‘little brother’, if not actually violent.

“So, elaborate on your supposed period as ‘Grayson’s Robin’.” Drake stood and stretched.

“Yeah, sure, but I do actually have to patrol, so we’ll do it on the move. You have any problems with working alongside me?” Not particularly, so Damian merely shrugged. Drake flicked on his comm. “Batman, this is Black Bat. I have Robin here, and he’ll be patrolling with me tonight. Willingly, surprisingly enough.”

 _“Gotcha, have fun Dami!”_ Damian clicked his tongue and his comm in acknowledgement at the same time.

“Did you ever work out how to avoid the nicknames?” Drake gave him a wry smile.

“No, but as a free bit of advice: if you ignore him when he uses them he makes worse ones.” A small shudder slipped up Damian’s spine. “Exactly. Now c’mon, we have rounds to make. Storytime can wait till the next rest spot.”

* * *

 

In order to maximise efficiency and the availability of back-up, as well as confusing observers, the ‘territories’ the more adult Bats (Among whose numbers Damian didn’t count, despite his protests.) patrolled were fluid and overlapped to the degree that there was never more than a two-block area under the protection of only one vigilante. Even then, the only important factor was telling said protector that you’d worked in their area after taking down your criminals to be polite, though before so they could join in was better form. So Damian was barely surprised when Drake’s chosen rest point was not in his territory, but the area under the three-way control of Kane, Montoya and Cain. He was slightly more surprised by the nature of it.

“Tt, are you sure we’ll both fit between these air conditioners?” Drake turned and shot him a smile he had to have stolen from Grayson as he patted the sheet that passed over the gap he wanted them to squeeze into.

“Yup, Cass and I together both fit just fine, and you’re much smaller. Jason and Dick are too bulky to reach in to pull you out though, so this is a much better place to sulk than the middle of some rooftop, especially as it’s always dry inside no matter what the weather is.” Damian mentally logged the location, then slid in next to Drake. For the small gap between two pieces of industrial machinery, it was surprisingly… snug. “Energy bar? I keep a small stash up here, just snacks and first aid equipment.” Damian took the bar, but did not open it.

“Why are you being so… nice… to me?” The smile stolen from Grayson came back again.

“You’re trying to make friends with the Bats, but you’re doing it how you’d do it in the League of Shadows, then lashing out when we don’t automatically become sycophantic lackeys.” Drake’s finger stopped Damian from opening his mouth. “Uh-uh, no denial, that’s Cass’s assessment, she gets really passive-aggressive if you disagree and that’s the last thing you want. Trust me. Or ask Jason, her reaction to his denial of his bi-poly status will be burned into his mind forever. Anyway… The only person you’ve become friends with is Dick, and that’s mainly because the moment he gets to like someone to a reasonable degree they jump straight onto his besties list unless B… someone brings up a good counterargument. So I’m extending both the hand of friendship and an attempt to show you how to make friends in a way that will be far more effective on non-assassins. And if you think I’m just pumping you for information, I was trained by _Oracle_ , why would I use such a clumsy and uncertain method.” He removed his finger. “You may now speak your counterargument.” Damian opened his mouth to respond, then stopped as he genuinely considered what he’d just heard. It wasn't as wrong and unreasonable as he would like it to be.

“I… I would like to… to think about what you’ve said. It was not in any way ground shattering or unusual, I assure you, merely… outside my particular areas of expertise.” A softer smile than the one stolen from Grayson slid onto Drakes face; this one suited it far better.

“Of course. Should I tell you the story of how I became Dick’s Robin as you do so?” Damian nodded.

“If you would.” Drake settled back against the air conditioner and paused for a moment.

“Ok, first off, scene setting. Bruce had recently had his back broken by Bane and handed Batman off to Jean-Paul Valley.” Damian snorted, Valley had no claim to his father’s title. “Jean-Paul refused to work with any of the current or former Robins and Batgirls, and started to believe killing was justified. We didn’t take kindly to that, and staged a mass beat-down in order to confiscate his Bat-suit. Bruce went to have his back fixed, but in the meantime Gotham needed a Batman, so Dick took over.” It was Drake’s turn to have a finger put over his mouth.

“So why was Grayson so reluctant to don the cowl this time, if he’d done it before?”

“I’m not best qualified to say, but I’d guess a combination of Bruce’s will telling him not to and the permanency of it this time. Ask him. Actually, why didn’t you ask him after you read all the old casefiles as a rite of passage? No, wait, don’t tell me. You felt the Prodigal files were unimportant because your father wasn’t Batman at the time.” Annoyingly correct deduction, Drake.

“It didn’t seem an important question at the time.” Steadfastly contemplating the air conditioner did nothing to reduce the effect of Drake’s raised eyebrow.

“Anyway, Dick had just become Batman and Bruce was going off to a retreat to recuperate his back. That was when I was called in to the Batcave…”

* * *

 

Tim had never understood why people found the dinosaur in the Batcave more impressive than the giant penny. It just didn’t make cents. Heh. Damn. He turned his attention from the thoughts of violent revenge on Dick for his contagious punning, and to the silent quartet of people who’d asked him to come here.

Bruce looked _old_ in the wheelchair, like losing the Bat, however temporarily, had stolen years of his life. But the fire in his eyes hadn’t vanished, the burning desire to stop what happened to him happening again. Dick, Jason and Steph all looked tired, which wasn’t surprising given the effort they’d put into taking down Jean-Paul’s rogue Batman. Not that Tim was much less exhausted. More notable was the fact that Steph was stood directly behind Bruce, just as she’d been every time Tim had seen them in the same room post-Bane.

“Hey, Timmy, good to see you!” Dick was the first to notice his presence, which said volumes for the levels of sleep deprivation they were currently running. Brushing the white streak back from where it had fallen in front of his eyes during Dick’s obligatory hair-ruffle, Tim found himself dragged into the centre of the dais the main Batcomputer sat on, the focal point of everyone’s attention. The silence stretched for several minutes before Tim couldn’t take it anymore.

“So, uh, when you said you wanted to see me I kinda assumed it was for an important reason, not just so I could substitute for a television. I mean, I _could_ do that, but I’d need a few hand puppets at least, and maybe a willing volunteer.” Jason and Steph both did the Bat-laughter-suppression-smile™, while Dick giggled. Bruce gave Tim a familiar look that in this situation he was pretty certain meant _‘Why do my children have such basic senses of humour?’_

“My apologies Black Bat. We have a proposition for you.” Tim flicked his eyes from Bruce to Jason, who held up the hand signals for ‘No trap’ and ‘probably’. Comforting.

“Okaay, what do you want?”

“As you can see, I’m not in any state to be Batman currently.” No, really? Tim would never have guessed from the broken back. People don’t recover from those overnight. Well, Tim did, but extenuating circumstances and all that… “Given what happened when Jean-Paul took over, I have decided to hand the mantle to Dick temporarily while I go through as full a recovery as possible.” Oh, that explained why the costume Dick was wearing didn’t resemble any iteration of Nightwing, but _did_ resemble Batman minus the symbol on the chest. Alfred had clearly been fitting him for the costume. “The initial plan was for you, Jason, and Steph to work alongside him to run as best an operation as possible. However, well…” Bruce gestured to Steph, who rolled her eyes.

“Ok, well, the thing is… the thing is I don’t think I can work as Dick’s Robin. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against working with him as Nightwing, but, well, Batman and Robin is very different from Nightwing and Robin. So I’m going to help Bruce recover, and well, Batman needs a Robin…” Tim folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“So you want to make me Robin in your place.” She nodded. “Ok, sell me on it. Convince me why I can do it and you can’t.” Bruce gave Tim an approving nod, while Jason grinned obnoxiously at Steph, clearly having predicted his response.

“Um, soooo, I was about to say ‘do you know how Batman needs a Robin’, but that’s kinda a stupid question, isn’t it?” Just a little. “Do you know _why_ Batman and Robin work?” Hmm… well…

“Balance of talents and personality traits?”

“Well, yeah, but it also works because it’s a father/child relationship. As in, Batman looks out for Robin because he sees them as his child,” Steph flushed bright red. “and Robin learns from Batman because they see him as their father.”

* * *

 

“You said Batman and Robin worked because of-” Drake put his whole hand over Damian’s mouth.

“Q and A comes after the story ends, kay?”

* * *

 

“And while I love Dick like a big brother, big brother is where it ends. No offence.” Dick gave her a breezy wave.

“It’s fine, though why you think me and Timmy’ll be any less brotherly with each other I don’t know.” Tim narrowed his eyes at Jason’s giggling as he stepped closer to Dick. He hoped this wasn’t going to get embarrassingly sappy, that sounded like the giggle of a man who was recording blackmail. Although if it was of Steph’s earlier confession Tim would set Babs on Jason.

“Well, you kinda are. Not brotherly, I mean.” Tim didn’t have to look to know his frown was mirrored on Dick’s face. “But at the same time you are brotherly, you know? Um, I know, I’ll use an example. In one of the other apartments on my floor there’s this big brother/little sister pair. The brother’s 25 and the sister’s, uh, 5, I think, and he’s her legal guardian because their parents died. Anyway, they’re who the interactions between you two remind me of. Not parent/child, but closer to that than most siblings would get. And, well, that’s why you’d make a better Robin for Dick than me, because you’ve already got the Batman/Robin dynamic down.”

Tim’s mouth was open to dispute her before his brain caught up and provided a handy list of situations wherein Steph’s analysis was correct. The list pretty much started when Dick slung an arm around his shoulder and asked what he wanted to call his costume, and ended a few seconds ago when he sidled closer to Dick when slightly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going, and barely missed an interaction. “That’s not… false.” He turned to Dick. “I can understand you taking this the wrong way, but you are pretty much the closest thing I’ve had to a good father in my life. And we do work well together, if not as well as me and Jason. Congratulations, Batman, you have a Robin.” He stuck out a hand, which Dick took gingerly. “Please tell me I don’t have to dye the white streak, I’m kinda attached to it and it’s annoying hiding it to be a civilian.”

* * *

 

“…and that’s pretty much what happened. For your information, I did get to keep the white streak. Oh, and if you’re wondering why you’ve never seen my Robin uniform in the cave, Bruce gave it to me to keep.” Damian nodded slowly as he considered the story he’d just heard. “So, questions? You can ask me later if you’d prefer.”

“Do you think the relationship between Grayson and I will become the same mix of parental and sibling your relationship with him is?” Because as much as Damian liked Grayson, Drake had admitted to preferring him to his birth father, and Damian didn’t want to show that level of disrespect. The soft Tim-smile (Not that Damian would ever admit to calling it that) reappeared on Drake’s face.

“I think it already is. And it doesn’t feel like you’re replacing Bruce does it?” Damian should have done… something… to Drake for the disrespect of interpreting his body-language so many times in one night, but he settled for a small nod. “Then don’t worry about it. Any other things bothering you?” Every bit of his mother’s training was screaming for Damian to not trust Drake, but the man was Cain’s brother and Gordon’s adopted son. If Drake really wanted to know about things that were concerning Damian, he didn’t have to ask.

“Brown made an… accurate… deduction concerning your relationship with Grayson. Do you think her theory about my father not being dead is as good?” Tim stared at him for a moment, then flipped up his whiteout lenses so Damian could see his eyes.

“I think…” He paused, then reached over and flipped Damian’s up as well. “I think… that I’ve seen stranger events. There could be a lot of truth to it, or it could just be a grieving child looking at an ancestors painting and seeing the family likeness, or convergent genetics. I know Steph believes the former. I know Dick believes the latter. I know Jason, Cass and Babs refuse to be drawn to either side. Personally… personally, I’m going to play devil’s advocate. I’ll come up with every bombshell I can find to drop on her theory, and see if it can be made to stand up to them, even if it means her taking a road-trip for her to gather wider evidence. Especially if it means that. I think either way some time out of Gotham would do her good.” Damian nodded, that would be the answer he would have given were their roles reversed.

“That is the logical way to deal with it. Do you… I am as invested in the outcomes of her theory as any other member of the family, would she be likely to accept use of the few resources I have retained in my Grandfather’s organisation?” Drake placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder.

“As peace offerings go, possibly something that couldn’t be twisted to be in some way selfish would be better.” It wasn’t a peace offering! Damian merely regretted a few of his earlier statements to a woman who was not as stupid as he had been led to believe, if the notoriously intelligent Drake agreed with and was willing to test her theories, and wished to get on more neutral grounds with her without admitting wrongdoing! “That being said, if you’re willing to offer, we could pass them off as part of my Delphi network so that later on we can offer proof you’ve been trying to improve your relationship since now.”

“I would be willing. But I am _not_ trying to improve our relationship!” That brought back the Grayson-smile.

“Uh-huh. As a tip, from starting out where you are now, try to antagonise her less. I’m not asking for a full attitude one-eighty, just… more like you are with me now than you have been with her at any time.” Like that was an easy-to-understand instruction! “C’mon, we have a patrol to finish, then I have a hot date with three cups of coffee and Steph’s theory.” Damian sputtered.

“A-as if I needed to know that!” Drake gave him a concerned look.

“It’s a turn of phrase, geez. Besides, Cass has a prior claim on Steph. Ok, that bit you really didn’t need to know. Don’t tell Dick.” Damian wiggled out of the rest point and turned his back to Drake.

“I won’t.” He waited until he heard Drake stand. “Earlier, you mentioned extending a hand of friendship to me correct?” He heard Drake shifting, but refused to turn and look.

“Yeah, why?”

“We are not as different as I was lead to believe. I have decided that I would like to attempt to accept it …Gordon.” And with that he grappled off so that Dra- Gordon couldn’t see how his face burned, though he did hear how Dra- Gordon muttered _‘Finally, he got it right.’_ before launching after him.

**Author's Note:**

> This whole one-shot was actually written during the writing of 'How to become a male Batgirl', just because several scenes would not leave me alone. I think Damian's a little OOC, but it's my first time writing him, and as Tim is a Batgirl and Babs's adopted son in this AU he was probably raised to view Tim far more neutrally, due to Tim being much less in the way of his status as Batman's son and heir. Also, I'm 90% certain I accidentally gave him a tiny baby crush on Tim, which would be a factor too. Oh, and as a bit of clarification to details about this AU mentioned in passing:  
> Both Tim and Cass have been adopted by Babs.  
> Steph's post-Robin ID is called Nightingale.  
> Post-adoption, Tim goes by Timothy Jack Gordon, to sever ties with the Drakes.  
> Tim actually believes just as much as Steph that Bruce is still alive, he just doesn't want to get Damian's hopes up in case they're wrong.  
> The going theory is that odd-numbered Batgirl-Robin pairs fall in love, while even-numbered ones don't, although that's only the going theory because nobody wants to contemplate what Damian's romantic partner would be like.  
> That's about it, thanks for reading.


End file.
